A taste of the Orient will be available at the University of Teesside this autumn.

A new part-time evening course teaching the funda- mentals of Mandarin Chinese and Chinese culture will be taught by Dr Anqi Shen, who works at the University of Teesside as the International Student Liaison Officer for Teesside Business School and a lecturer at the School of Social Science and Law.

Anqi said: "This course aims to develop basic survival skills in Chinese and it also aims to develop awareness of Chinese culture and tradition.

"Over the course of the next few years China is set to become one of the world's super-economies.

"But it's not just people in business who should consider doing this course. The Olympic Games will be held in Beijing in 2008. Those who are interested in going to China to watch the games will feel it is crucial to know some survival Chinese."

The Foundation in Chinese course costs £195, with a £100 reduction available for those who have never studied at the University of Teesside before. The course will run on Mondays from 5.30 to 8.30pm, from Monday, October 2. To find out more, contact Anqi on 01642 342876, or email: anqi.shen@tees.ac.uk